Many years ago a film was released in which the theme was that people
worship the dead and ignore the living beings. Message was emphasized
that most people cannot get the respect while they are alive. When
they are dead people may speak high of them but ignore their good
points when they are alive. If we can know the good deeds of people
when they are alive we can go and meet them and learn from their
experiences. Everybody is not like Bhism Pitamah who gave enough time
s that Kaurva’s and Pandva’s could get the benefit of his knowledge
and experiences. As soon as some big thinker, poet, writer or a
nationalist soldier dies the whole media becomes attentive and starts
counting their great achievements. Rare are the people who get such
applause when they are living. I become very sad even today that Ajmer
city could not give proper respect and publicity to great poet late
Shri Majboor. So called intellectuals and men of letters were not many
who used to see him. Different from others he was a man who wrote for
his own satisfaction and did not bother to attract people to know him
or his writings. From the administrative side only two people used to
see him one was Shri Anil Bordia and another was I. I am greatful to
Shri SP Mittal that he took me to the house of Shri RK Majboor and got
him introduced. I had been hearing about Shri Majboor by Shri Morari
Bapu but did not know him much. It is a matter of surprise that Shri
Ravindra Krishna Majboor and his writings were not popularized by the
men of letters but those who popularized him were a saint and a
businessman. Thanks to the great literate taste of Saint Morari Bapu
that he could highlight the poems of Shri RK Majboor. Shri Madan ji
Paliwal of Rajsamand who is a businessman also gave special respect to
Shri Majboor sahib. The only dedicated person Mr Majboor could find
was his wife and another was learned Shub Karan Detha of Borunda.
Compared to the people who recite poems during Musharaiyas, Mr Majboor
is a very less known person but his poetry does excel many many and
many. Since the poet did not recite his poems, not may people could
get benefitted from his books.
A great Shayar like Majboor remained very very less known but after
his death people have started knowing him and appreciating him. It is
painful as to why do people wait that let someone die and only then he
will get attention.
Likewise great Urdu poet Mirza Galib was humiliated by one arrogant
kotwal of Delhi and the so called emperor of Delhi could not save his
honour despite for Galib because that Kotwal had become very close to
the British resident and Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar had lost his
effectivity in authority. What happened with Galib cannot happen
today. But people did not storm the jails of Delhi in support of great
Mirza Galib.
Firaq Gorakhpuri got name and fame during his life and was lucky but
his students whom he was supposed to teach English literature had the
grievance against him that he could get the course completed. On such
a complaint what Firaq Gorakhpuri said can be relevant regarding all
great poets and great people. He answered to the students that you
don’t know that you will have a sense of pride that whether you had an
association with Firaq Gorakhpuri.
Late RK Majboor is not alive but those who used to see him often have
a sense of pride that they had an association that they had an
association with such a great poet.
The prominence which Shri Majboor is getting now did not invite the
attention of media when he was alive. Despite many reminders Shri
Majboor did not get the attention of the media.
Film Teesri Kasam (Third Vow) still invite the attention of the people
but not many know as to what a price lyricist Shailendra paid for it.
Great English poet John Keats is read with great respect all over the
world but the criticism which he received during his lifetime was very
bitter and it is one of the causes of his early death. Critics went to
the extent of saying that Keats should pay attention to his profession
of a medical compounder than writing poetry.
Such examples are many but if people can sincerely feel, it is
sufficient to say that people of excellence and greatness in any field
should be respected when they are alive. Why should people wait to
highlight a person when he dies.
The above paradigm is not limited to the field of literature. Our late
prime minister Narsimha Rao is regarded as the initiator of the
present economic reforms. He is also respected for his strong action
against terrorism but when he was alive his merits were ignored
against his limitations of running the government. But when he died
the media for many days kept on highlighting his great contribution to
the nation. Late Shri Narsimha Rao might have waited for long for the
appreciation of his good deeds but the appreciation came only when he
died.
Brave police officers of Punjab who fought terrorism got their dues
only when they died. Similar situation is there in other examples
also. The question is why we cannot appreciate the good deeds of a
person when he is alive and why should we wait till he dies.
While closing this write up let me bring to the notice of the readers
some of the very exceptional excerpts from the writing of Late Shri
Majboor.
Shri Majboor rightly said that all good people are alike but they are
not together. He also experienced and wrote that if union of
relationship is not think life is hell. This great poet makes the God
realize that he should also descend to pick up to meet the ascending
people.
Great Majboor wrote what he lived, he used to read life and people he
did not read many books. Once one arrogant and so called men of
letters asked him like this
“Majboor Sahib- you donn’t read books, how do you then write poetry?”
Late Majboor answered, “What do you mean? As per your assumption cow
should not give milk because cow does not drink milk.”
Saint Kabir might have not faced such a question which Shri Majboor
faced but even without such question his answer is immortal for the
posterity-“reading does not mean one has become knowledgeable,
Knowledgeable is he who has understood the meaning of love.”

R N Arvind
Retired IAS
Jaipur